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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. pop — soda
  3. rash — a series
  4. key — in music
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. key — the most important part
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. cell — a phone
  14. rash — hasty
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. key — for a lock
  18. pop — to visit
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. content — happy
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. content — the amount
  23. pop — music
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com